Ending Child Sex Slavery

Marie Claire- Sex Slavery Article

Speak Up for Them — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:26:02 +0000

Think slavery in the United States ended with the Civil War? Think again — there are currently about 10,000 people in the United States working as forced laborers, according to the Human Rights Center in Berkeley, California. Many are tricked into slavery or sex work by organizations masquerading as groups that help people come to the States to find (safe, legal) work. A story currently making the rounds on the Internet is hammering home just how easily this can happen.

…. Read the rest on their site
Russian Women Saved from Sex Trafficking in the Nick of Time

their are a lot of really good articles to read at the bottom of the page as well…

IJM – Rescued

Speak Up for Them — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:15:07 +0000

Breaking News Update
Location: Chennai, India
Date: March 12, 2010
Result: 13 slaves freed

Dear Amanda,

Last Friday, IJM’s Chennai team rescued 13 children, women and men from slavery in a large rice mill.

EMAIL – 20100318 – Breaking News Appeal

March 12, 2010: A family gathers their belongings to leave the rice mill during the rescue operation conducted by IJM and local authorities.

Forced to live in tiny shacks within the compound, the slaves were desperate for release. One of the victims, Mukesh*, was suffering from tuberculosis and had been forbidden from leaving the mill for treatment. At rescue, he had not eaten for four days.

Today, he and the rest of the slaves are free. Mukesh is receiving medical treatment, and he and the other former slaves will receive funds and supplies from the government to build their new lives. IJM aftercare staff will provide them with continued assistance as they resettle in their home villages.

Thank you for joining with IJM to seek justice. This movement of friends, advocates and supporters around the world is what enables IJM to literally free slaves and change lives.

Gratefully,
EMAIL – Signature – LHayes – Tan
Laurie Hayes
Director of Development

Playground

Speak Up for Them — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:01:14 +0000

This is an amazing documentary: playground

Cambodia Children Sold into sex slavery

Speak Up for Them — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:36:12 +0000

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/cambodia-children-sold-slavery/story?id=10163645

What to do with all your Christmas money

Speak Up for Them — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:54:49 +0000

Check out this organization: http://www.in-his-steps.org/sak_saum.htm

They help women get out of the sex industry and employ them.

Women in the Sak Saum program are trained in sewing and jewelry-making skills. They receive fair trade wages for the products that they make, which include:

Silk handbags, purses, and cosmetic cases
Silk embellished clutch purses
Embroidered silk table runners
Cotton padded tote bags
Recycled-product bags

We produce a wide range of designs while focusing on unique, quality products. Each product tells the story of a woman’s journey to find dignity. Sak Saum is helping to restore the dignity that had been stolen from her, and that legacy will be passed on to future generations.

By purchasing from Sak Saum, people around the world are empowering women and helping to rescue Cambodians from poverty and hopelessness. We currently export our fair trade products to the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Singapore. As demand for these products increases, we hope to gain new partners internationally to help us promote the fair trade ethic and sell Sak Saum products.

Tanning Salon / Brothel?

Speak Up for Them — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:36:41 +0000

In the case below it doesn’t say if any of the women were trafficked. But, I wanted to post this just to show people how a brothel can operate just about anywhere.

6 arrested in tanning-salon prostitution case in Renton WA

Associated Press – December 12, 2007 9:05 PM ET

RENTON, Wash. (AP) – The King County sheriff’s office says six people have been arrested in an investigation into two Renton tanning salons that are suspected as fronts for prostitution.

Court records say sheriff’s detectives served warrants on three locations on Nov. 29, including Sunset Tan (at 919 Harrington Ave. N.E.) and Happy Tanning (at 1082 Kirkland Ave. N.E.).

The detectives spent months monitoring male clients and women entering the salons, according to the court records.

The suspects, including a 31-year-old woman manager, were arrested Dec. 4 on suspicion of promoting prostitution and money laundering.

A detective’s affidavit filed in court described how at one salon clients could purchase “hot rock” therapy for $60, “thermal care” for $100, or “sun tanning” for $200, all codes for sexual favors.

Court records say undercover detectives who entered the businesses first paid a $60 entrance fee, then were led to rooms where women provided standard massages, but offered sexual favors for more money.

The investigation began during the summer of 2006.

Investigators linked the two businesses by watching employees move between the two locations. All employees were women, who were rotated into the businesses every two to three weeks.

Ice office

Speak Up for Them — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:44:39 +0000

A new ICE office to open in Colorado Springs. I am hoping to be able to visit and speak with them. For those of you who saw the movie Human Trafficking, it was the ICE division the girl worked for.
read more….
If you are having trouble viewing this message, please click here.

Dear Amanda,

It’s been another busy week in Washington. Thank you for taking a few moments for a short congressional update and job creation survey.

ICE

After years of hard work by many people, I am thrilled with the opening of a new Immigration, Customs and, Enforcement office last week in downtown Colorado Springs. Our city has grown rapidly in the past decade. That growth has brought an increase in illegal immigration and the problems related to it, including drug smuggling, human trafficking, financial crimes, document fraud, immigration fraud, and money laundering.

This increase in crime has placed both a financial and logistical strain on local law enforcement. This office will alleviate some of the burden and help El Paso County and Colorado Springs officials in addressing the numerous problems associated with illegal immigration. Agents will also work closely with the existing federal agencies already in Colorado Springs, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Congressman Lamborn addresses impact of illegal immigration at Colorado Springs ICE office opening

Pictured, left to right, Jim Bensberg, El Paso County Commissioner; Kumar Kibble, ICE; Congressman Doug Lamborn

Afghanistan

The President announced a troop surge to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. While I fully support this surge, I am concerned about the President’s undue emphasis on an exit strategy. While we all want our troops to return home, talk of calendar dates for withdrawal and “off-ramps” is counterproductive to achieving our mission. It gives the Taliban and other terrorists the opportunity to just wait out the U.S. if they so choose. It also calls into doubt American staying power.

Fort Carson already has 4,400 troops in Afghanistan and will be sending about 4,500 more as part of this surge. We must demonstrate a resolute commitment to those men and women. The ultimate goal is a stable and secure Afghanistan with the tools to prevent the Taliban and al Qaeda from reconstituting themselves, hijacking a nation, and threatening the world through terrorist aggression.

EstateTax

Also, the House took a critical vote on the Estate Tax, which I believe is a Death Tax. I believe this is an onerous tax. It is scheduled to expire at the end of this year, allowing middle class families to transfer small businesses to the next generation. Unfortunately, the Majority voted to bring back the Estate Tax permanently. This means that the government will take up to 45 percent of a family’s assets – stifling economic growth and jobs creation.

I voted against H.R. 4154 – the bill that revives the Estate Tax.

Small businesses and farm families are struggling. We should allow this tax to die a natural death next year, as scheduled– with no chance of resuscitation. The Estate Tax discourages saving and investing, undermines job creation, and suppresses productivity and wage growth.

This Democrat-controlled Congress is taxing small businesses to finance their unprecedented government spending. According to a study by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, repeal of the Estate Tax would allow small business investment to rise about 3 percent annually, adding some 1.5 million jobs to the economy. It is small business that creates jobs, not government.

Additionally, this Democrat bill is seriously flawed because it is not indexed for inflation. This ratcheting down effect will eventually force families with even more modest assets to be taxed, as well.

To overturn the Estate Tax once and for all, I have co-sponsored two bills to permanently repeal the Estate Tax, H.R. 205 and H.R. 1960.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you in Congress. I look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Doug

52 Kids Freed from Prostitution

Speak Up for Them — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:53:38 +0000

US authorities rescued 52 children, including one as young as 10, from prostitution rings and arrested nearly 700 people during a nationwide sting operation over the weekend, the FBI said.

The three-day push in 36 US cities “led to the recovery of 52 children who were being victimized through prostitution” and the arrest of close to 700 others, “including 60 pimps, on state and local charges,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

“Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country, as evidenced by the number of children rescued through the continued efforts of our crimes-against-children task forces,” said Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

The roundup, which officials said took place over the previous 72 hours, was part of a larger FBI program called “Innocence Lost,” whose task forces have removed nearly 900 children from the streets since 2003, convicted 510 people and seized 3.1 million dollars in assets, the FBI said.

Agents targeted truck stops, casinos, street corners and websites as part of their hunt for offenders.

“They target areas known to have prostitution,” FBI special agent Jason Pack told AFP. “When they find young looking ones they try to find ways to engage the folks and go from there,” he said.

The youngest person taken off the street was a 10-year-old girl in the midwestern United States. The other 51 were mostly females under age 18, he said.

The FBI said initial arrests for solicitation typically uncovered larger, more organized efforts to prostitute women and children across the United States.

“It is repugnant that children in these times could be subjected to the great pain, suffering, and indignity of being forced into sexual slavery for someone else’s profit,” said assistant attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division.

The roundup however “has shown us that the scourge of child prostitution still exists on the streets of our cities.”

Washington

Operation twisted traveler

Speak Up for Them — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:24:46 +0000

Finally some justice prevails!!

SCTNOW Walk 09

Speak Up for Them — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:20 +0000

I woke up Saturday morning at 6:00am with a heart full of hope. This last Saturday I participated in a walk to fight child sex trafficking. I woke up with hope that this day a group of people will gather together for one cause, for one purpose, for one goal. I woke up knowing that today I will not just talk about putting an end to child sex trafficking but, I will DO SOMETHING about it.
When I arrived in Colorado Springs there were a few people there setting up. The morning breeze felt nice and the sun was shinning bright. I walked up to the main table and asked, “What can I do?” They looked up me with a puzzled smile and asked who are you? That fact is that I’m from Denver and I did not know any of these people. But, I do know that if you go with a servants heart doors will open. I explained who I am and what I do and said I am here to serve you. They put me to work. In the morning I helped with registration. There were a lot of people there who didn’t pre-register they just found out about it and decided to come. I was excited they came and excited to see how many people brought their kids. By 10:00 the bounce houses were full of smiles and children running around with face painting and candy. Starbucks showed up and passed out free coffee for everyone to enjoy. It was great to see so many people joining together for the same cause. Right before the walk began a speaker shared with the crowd a humble reminder of why we were all gathered there. He reminded them about the girls taken and turned into prostitutes as young as five. He also said that new facts are coming out that American children are the next main target. That a growing number of the child sex slaves are from America. The walk began and people started about the 2mile journey with a heavy heart. I then went over and helped at the Pearl Alliance table. They were selling bracelets that were made from the girls in Cambodia at a SHEhome safe house. They said on them: It’s NOT ok. It made me think what these girls felt as they beaded each one of those bracelets. The day came to an end and we tore down the bounce houses, folded up tables and passed out the leftover food. But, even though the event is over the feeling of being a part of something bigger than me will always remain.